Shevchenko, Alexander (1883-1948)

AV Shevchenko - one of those artists who in the 1910s. contributed to a radical change in the language of art, an apologist for new forms (the author of pamphlets "The principles of Cubism and other modern trends" and "neo-primitivism. His theory. Its capabilities. His achievements", both 1913). And yet it can not be called a radical - some softening of features present in made them. Taking care of the beauty and attraction to the quiet harmony, leading in some cases to the salon decisions more likely to report his work latent classicism.

Shevchenko was educated (1899 - 1909) at the Stroganov School (particularly highlighting this school for professionalism) MUZHVZ (at Korovin ) and in Paris - at the Academy Julian R. and E. Carriere in the workshop.

Back in the Moscow School of Painting, he became friends with M. Larionov and inspired his theories (Rayonism - in part, neo-primitivism - seriously), participated in exhibitions "Donkey's Tail", "Target" and "№ 4" (1912-14). After the departure of Larionov in Paris, this passion has taken a more traditional form in the written and AV Grishchenko manifesto for the exhibition "Tsvetodinamos and tectonic primitivism" (1919) proclaims Shevchenko return to the eternal values ​​of painting, however, and before he insisted that "there is no art of old and new, for it is timeless, spaceless."

Latitude approach has led to the diversity of his interests: in the 1920s., Actively participating in cultural and educational activities and the Commissariat a lot of energy giving teaching in the Higher Art, he also works in the "left" INKhuK in GAKhN, with its traditional academic manner, and is "Makovtse" (member of the 1st and 3rd Exhibition, 1922, 1925).

Focus on culture across the entire spectrum of its manifestations is the core activity of the artist - under this sign is the involvement of students in the life of an exhibition (in 1926, Shevchenko organizing of their students union "shop painters") and device Museum of Artistic Culture in Moscow and Leningrad. For him the same latitude was not eclectic, but a conscious desire to synthesis.

Such a tendency is noticeable in his early works. Cezannism - the core and basis of the constructions - corrected it easy kubisticheskaya translations, primitivist simplistic form, but not at the expense of harmonic beauty, classical repertory productions still life and landscapes with figures retains its classical nature due to the absolute sense of color and spatial equilibrium ("Still Life with Apples" "Landscape with the house," 1910, etc.).

Images of Shevchenko distinguishes enlightenment sometimes idyllic - he tends to the generalized monumental silhouettes, to melodious rhythms based on the repetition of circular movements, to the nobility of a balanced composition of color and clarity ("Musicians", "Woman in the mirror," both 1913, "Self-Portrait" 1920, etc.).

Monumental trends are amplified in the works of the 1930s., Especially those related to the oriental theme: in 1929, the artist was sent to Batumi, which began with his discovery of the East - Adjara, Dagestan, Azerbaijan, here Shevchenko found his ideal of a free and undisturbed existence and imprinted in his epic-sounding paintings, lithographs and monotypes. In the 1940s. it almost does not participate in the artistic life - affects disease, but he had written at the time the memories are vivid narrative of the ways and search for Russian art.